http://www.havenwellnessbydesign.com/

Dr. Bev Haven, Vancouver, BC (2026)

01/09/2026

Heated Rivalry has struck a nerve — and psychology helps explain why.

The story touches on identity under pressure, the tension between public roles and private truth, and the emotional labour of living in spaces where safety and desire don’t always align. For many women, these themes feel familiar because they echo real psychological experiences around belonging, attachment, and self-expression.

I wrote a blog exploring five reasons we’re drawn to Heated Rivalry. This carousel captures the essence, but if you’re interested in the deeper psychological layers behind it, you can read the full piece on my website.

01/08/2026

Nine years ago. Vancouver.
Five weeks pregnant — just enough of a belly to whisper ‘maybe’.

This was a season where I wanted something more than anything… and had almost no control over the outcome. After years of infertility and loss, I knew striving wouldn’t get me there. So I did the only thing that felt available: I tended to what I could control.

My health.
My home.
My energy.

I created a space that felt calm, grounded, and alive — fruit trees, flowers, natural light, my plants quietly growing alongside me. Each morning I lit a candle, played my kundalini music, chanted, regulated my nervous system, and wrote gratitude for a life that wasn’t fully here yet — but felt real in my body.

Science tells us that safety, regulation, and environment shape our physiology. Spirituality teaches us to trust, surrender, and stay present. In that season, I learned they are not opposites — they are partners.

Sometimes manifesting isn’t about forcing an outcome.
It’s about becoming a safe place for the dream to land. What do you do when you feel yourself grasping for certainty?

01/07/2026

You might be surprised to hear this, but I’m not necessarily a fan of pop-psych trends.

When Let Them started circulating, what caught my attention wasn’t the slogan, it was the psychology underneath it.

Because the core idea behind Let Them isn’t new.

It’s rooted in Motivational Interviewing — a clinical approach that’s been used for decades to support real, lasting behaviour change.

MI works by shifting control back to the individual.

Not forcing insight.
Not arguing with resistance.
Not pushing someone to change before they’re ready.

And that’s why it’s so effective — especially when it comes to habits we’ve tried (and failed) to change over and over again.

Most “stuck” behaviours aren’t about willpower.

They’re about protection, regulation, and needs we haven’t learned how to meet differently yet.

This is the foundation of how change actually happens and it’s the lens I’ll be using for an upcoming behaviour experiment inside Haven.

No pressure.
No performative growth.
Just science-backed change, done gently and honestly.

More soon 🤍

12/23/2025

After 15+ years as a psychologist, one truth stands out:
your home isn’t just where you live — it’s where your nervous system lives.

From instinctively rearranging my room as a child to becoming a psychologist, I’ve always understood that environments shape how safe, grounded, and capable we feel. Today, I combine psychology and design to help families create homes that support mental health, harmony, productivity, and connection.

This work is guided by The 8 Dimensions of Wellness at Home — a framework that shows how our environment directly impacts wellbeing:

1. Mental Health
Spaces that support privacy, rest, emotional safety, and meaningful conversation are essential for managing anxiety, stress, and low mood.

2. Air, Water & Light
Clean air, natural light, and access to fresh water reduce stress, regulate mood, and support long-term physical and mental health.

3. Technology
Thoughtful technology integration helps families stay connected without becoming overstimulated or emotionally disconnected.

4. Functionality
Layout, storage, accessibility, and flow influence how easily a home supports daily life — adapting to your life stage, not working against it.

5. Daily Living Activities
The placement of objects and surfaces shapes habits, routines, productivity, and ease, often without us realizing it.

6. Aesthetic Appeal
Colour, texture, and spatial balance directly affect emotional regulation — calming the nervous system or overwhelming it.

7. Connection
Homes designed for communication, empathy, and belonging strengthen both individual and family wellbeing.

8. Work & Leisure Separation
Clear zones and boundaries support focus, reduce burnout, and create healthier balance in modern, work-from-home households.

Your home should help you feel safe, energized, and supported — not stressed or depleted.
This is the foundation of wellness by design.

⸻

12/17/2025

2025 has been an incredible year. One of the most meaningful parts has been working with women to help them optimize their spaces so they better support their goals and well-being.

While everyone’s aspirations are different, one theme kept showing up: when your environment doesn’t support you, everything feels harder. Overwhelm often isn’t about mess. It’s about spaces that aren’t aligned with your nervous system, even if they once brought you joy.

Through my therapy work, I noticed how deeply homes and workspaces impact mental and emotional health. What started as offering small design insights grew into something more intentional, leading to the creation of the Haven Design Consultation, where psychology and design meet.

I created this offering to help women design spaces that feel supportive, grounding, and aligned, both aesthetically and psychologically. It’s become a core service I truly love.

I’m excited to continue offering Haven Design Consultations in 2026 and open them to anyone who feels weighed down by their space. If this resonates, you’re invited to book a complimentary consultation through my website.
Many psychology services may also be reimbursable through insurance.

Here’s to creating spaces that support who you’re becoming.

12/04/2025

The FDA removing the black box warning on HRT is a defining moment for women’s mental health and midlife wellbeing. For decades, fear shaped our choices: fear of hormones, fear of symptoms being dismissed, fear of losing clarity and control.

Now the science is finally being recognized.
HRT, when timed and monitored properly, can support cognitive clarity, mood regulation, sleep, and overall vitality. Women are being seen in a new way as whole humans whose hormones, brains, and mental health are deeply connected.

And you don’t have to navigate this alone.

I help women move through anxiety and burnout using a holistic, science-backed approach. While I don’t prescribe medication, we can talk about whether meds or HRT may be useful tools in your mental health toolkit, alongside sustainable, everyday strategies that support your nervous system and wellbeing.

Holistic doesn’t mean woo woo.
It means whole-person health, grounded in evidence.

If this season of life feels bumpy and you want support regulating your mind, hormones, and nervous system:

DM me “TRANSITION” and I’ll send you the link to book a consultation so we can explore a path forward together.

Dr. Bev Walpole
Psychologist • Women’s Mental Health • Guelph ON

11/26/2025

Coming Home to Yourself is a gentle reset for your mind, body, and home. It was designed to help women reconnect, recharge, and feel like themselves again.

This course blends new science-based research with teachings from leading experts in psychology to help women truly come back to themselves.

If you’re navigating menopause or other big life changes, and you’ve been giving all your energy to everyone else, this was created to help you realign with your true self.

If you’d like more info on the course, comment “home” and I’ll send it right to you. ✨

11/06/2025

💬 Ontario is Quietly Proposing to Lower the Bar for Becoming a Psychologist — By 75%.

There are significant changes being proposed by the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) — and they could dramatically reduce the training and safeguards required to become a psychologist in this province.

If these proposals go through, Ontario could have the lowest training standards in Canada — and possibly the world.

Here’s what’s being proposed: ⚠️ Cutting minimum supervised training by ~75% ⚠️ Removing key licensing exams (including ethics and oral competency exams) ⚠️ Allowing psychologists to self-declare specializations (like child, neuro, or forensic psychology) without proof of advanced training ⚠️ Framing reduced standards as a solution for equity — instead of creating real access through funded programs and fair opportunities
These aren’t minor updates. They would fundamentally change what it means to be a psychologist in Ontario and could put the public at risk — especially when it comes to accurate diagnoses, safety assessments, and specialized care.

👉 You can help. The College has opened a public survey. Please take a few minutes to say NO to these proposals.

✍️ Comment “SURVEY” and I’ll send you the official College survey link.

🧠 To learn more about what’s being proposed, comment “INFO.”

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10/17/2025

Hygge isn’t about how your home looks...it’s about how it feels. It’s the art of creating comfort, connection, and calm through simple, intentional choices.

Start small: ☕ Use soft, layered lighting instead of harsh overheads, like warm lamps and candlelight, to invite you to slow down.
 🪵 Choose natural textures like linen, wool, and wood to ground your senses.
 🌿 Keep only what adds warmth or meaning; release what feels heavy or distracting.
 🕯️ Create rituals that bring rhythm to your days: a slow morning tea, a quiet evening reflection, or a weekend reset that feels restorative.

When your surroundings support your nervous system, everyday moments become softer, deeper, and more connected.

Like Hygge, Haven celebrates simplicity and authenticity. We weave these same principles into our designs — blending the warmth of Hygge with the science of psychology to help you create spaces that restore balance from the inside out.

10/05/2025

Wellness is deeply influenced by the environments we live in.

The SHINE framework is a reminder that our homes can either drain us or actively support our health across five dimensions:
🌙 Sleep — creating restful spaces that promote true restoration.
🌿 Hormones — reducing environmental stressors and supporting balance.
☀️ Immunity — maximizing natural light, air quality, and movement.
💛 Nurture Emotions — curating spaces that uplift and soothe.
🏋️ Exercise — designing environments that make movement easy and natural.

When we intentionally design our spaces with these in mind we are creating homes that nurture our nervous system, protect our wellbeing, and help us thrive.

💡 How do you design your environment to support your health?

07/21/2025

⏳ The first 30 minutes of your day are a message to your nervous system.

Before the world gets loud, your home is already shaping how you feel, think, and focus.

This carousel explores how subtle shifts in your space and habits can help you begin the day with more steadiness and intention.

07/14/2025

Ever notice how a store makes you feel before you buy something?
That’s not an accident, that’s psychology.

We don’t buy based solely on logic. We buy to feel safe, powerful, nurtured, elevated — and our environments play a huge role in shaping those feelings.

In this post, I’m breaking down how design influences buying behaviour — and how we can apply that insight not just to marketing, but to our homes, offices, and everyday spaces.

💬 What was the last thing you bought because it just felt right?

Dr. Bev Haven

01/09/2026

01/08/2026

01/07/2026

12/23/2025

12/17/2025

12/04/2025

11/26/2025

11/06/2025

10/17/2025

10/05/2025

07/21/2025

07/14/2025

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